Jai alai is a sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker cesta. It is a variation of Basque pelota. The term jai alai, coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton where matches take place. The game, whose name means "merry festival" in Basque, is called "zesta-punta" in the Basque Country. The sport is played worldwide, but especially in Spain, in the south west of France, and in Latin American countries.
Basque pelota is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall or, more traditionally, with two teams face to face separated by a line on the ground or a net. The roots of this class of games can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures.
Julián Retegui Barbería, also known as Retegi II is an ex-player of Basque pelota. He is also called "El mago de Eratsun", since he is considered one of the best Basque pelota players of all time. He played as a foreplayer.
Oier Zearra Garabieta, also known as Zearra, is a Basque pelota player for the Asegarce company. He plays as back-player.
Rubén Beloki Irribarren is a Basque pelota defensive player, often considered one of the best in the history of the sport. He was born in Burlada on 8 August 1974. His brother Alberto Beloki is also a professional pelotari known as Beloki II.
Atano III is a Basque pelota short fronton located at the Anoeta Sports Complex in San Sebastián, Basque Autonomous Community, Spain.
Ogueta is a short Basque pelota fronton located in Vitoria, in Álava Province, Basque Country, Spain
Mariano Juaristi Mendizábal was an Azkoitian Basque pelota player known as Atano III. He is often considered one of the best pelotaris of all time, dominating the 1st hand-pelota category from 1926 to 1948 and winner of 4 championships.
ASPE Jugadores de Pelota S.L. is a sports management company dedicated to promote Basque pelota.
Augusto Ibáñez Sacristán is a Basque pelota forward player. Champion of the Doubles Hand-pelota tournaments of 1994, 2000, 2004 and 2012.
Aimar Olaizola Apezetxea, known as Olaizola II is a pelotari, brother of Olaizola I.
Juan Martínez de Irujo is a professional Basque pelota player for the Aspe team.
Indalecio León Zarasqueta Uriarte, known as Txikito de Eibar or Aizpiri txiki, was a Basque pelota player who participated in pala, Hand-pelota, remonte, long bat and short bat categories. Due to his physical characteristics he received the nickname of Txiquito, meaning in Euskera Little. Txiquito de Eibar was one of the first professional players of pelota at the time of its beginnings, in the 19th century.
The Bare-handed Pelota First League is the most important tournament competition of Hand-pelota category of Basque pelota. It was created in 1940, when the new Basque Pelota Spanish Federation, to have a champion of the category. In its beginnings, the championship was disputed every two years, turning into an annual tournament since 1950. The first champion was Atano III. Retegi II, holds the title of most wins with 11, 9 consecutives.
The Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles known as Campeonato de España de mano parejas is the second most important tournament of Hand-pelota category in Basque pelota, after the 1st Hand-Pelota singles championship, known as manomanista. The teams are formed by a Forward and a Defender, and the games are played to 22 points.
The Bare-handed Pelota Second League is the second most important hand-pelota tournament. The championship has been played since 1957 and has been the previous scenario for future 1st category pelotaris such as Retegi I, Retegi II, Arretxe, Beloki I and Olaizola II. The winner of the tournament earns the right to participate in the next edition of the Bare-handed Pelota First League
The Spanish Federation of Basque pelota or Federación Española de Pelota Vasca is the main governing body of Basque pelota in Spain and one of the most important in the world along with the International Federation of Basque Pelota.
Olaizola is a Basque surname. Notable people with the surname include:
José María Palacios Moraza, known by the pseudonym of Ogueta was a Basque pelota player in the category of hand-pelota. Often considered one of the best pelotaris of the history of Álava, in 1979 a professional fronton was named after him in Vitoria, the capital city of the province: the Ogueta fronton.
Oinatz Bengoetxea is a player of Basque pelota who won the 1st Hand-Pelota singles championship in 2008.
